Multi-purpose cushioned seat



June 2, 1970 G. WEST 3,514,793

MULTI-PURPO$E CUSHIONED SEAT Filed April 12. 1967 FIG.2

2 INVENTOR.

GAIL WEST United States Patent 3,514,793 MULTI-PURPOSE CUSHIONED SEAT Gail West, Ferguson, Mo. (9953 Halls Ferry Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63136) Filed Apr. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 630,231 Int. Cl. A61g 9/00 US. Cl. 4-113 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention resides in a releasing means for a plurality of spaced suction cups provided integrally with the bottom planar face of a cushioned seat adapted for use with a bedpan seat, whereby said releasing means serves both to obviate contamination with said seat following the use thereof, and to support said seat in space for drip drying following a sanitation bath, whereby said seat in itself will not be subjected to contamination, during the processing of a plurality thereof, as generally is practiced in hospitals and nursing homes.

My invention relates to a resilient subsidiary seat that may be used as a means to provide comfort for those people that formerly had to endure the seating facilities offered by stadiums or the like, also my invention can readily serve as a life preserver for boating enthusiasts whereby the seat can be used as a harness to readily encompass a major body portion of a non-swimmer serving to provide buoyancy therefore while propelling him self through the water; but more important my invention will serve invalids as when bathed in a bath tub as it will help them retain their posture and serving to preclude the possibility of an injury thereto by the loss of their equilibrium therein, however and as by way of example I have chosen to illustrate the use of my seat in combination with a bed-pan, but more in particular to a cushioned seat that will automatically secure itself to a rigid planar surface when compressed thereon.

The invention comprising a pliant arcuately shaped and impervious open ended body member, with the invention residing in resilient suction members that depend from the lower wall thereof, which serve to resist a lateral thrust when detachably secured to a planer and rigid surface as would normally serve as a primary seating surface to the user.

It being the main object of my invention to provide the means for securing a cushioned seat to a planer and rigid primary seating surface when compressed thereon whereby precluding possible injury to the user as may occur through the use of metal buckles interposing restraining straps as has been known to me.

It being another object of my invention to provide the means within a cushioned seat whereby the seat can be easily and quickly removed from a planer and rigid surface.

It being a further object of my invention to provide a cushioned seat having sufiicient buoyancy to support a person who may be adrift in a body of water, the use of which may be employed as a flotation collar to encompass a major body portion thereof as for example the body portion interposing the arm pits and the hips whereby leaving the limbs free as a propelling means toward a port of safety.

A still further object of my invention is to provide the means within a cushioned seat which will serve to render ventilation to the surrounding area of the anal region of a person who is confined to the seat of a chair during endless periods of time.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will 3,514,793 Patented June 2, 1970 become more readily apparent as from the following description and the accompanying drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate similar components of construction and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the invention with the use thereof exemplified by the associated bedpan.

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of a side portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section in elevation taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the invention which illustrates an assembly operation.

FIG. 5 is a transverse view in elevation taken substantially along the line 77 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings and as best illustrated within FIG. 1 therein is shown my invention which is indicated in general by the numeral 20 superposing in contiguous relation a bedpan 12 which may comprise a bowl shaped receptacle having a flat bottom wall 13 and upwardly and outwardly curving rear, front and side walls 14, 15 and 16 respectively formed integrally with the bottom wall. Surmounting and sealed to the upper marginal edges of the walls 14, 16 and a portion of the front wall 15 therewith is provided an inturned flange 19 as at '18 which is provided With an open ended and channel like spout 17 the top edge of which slopes inwardly'to the front wall 15 thereof. The inturned flange 19 being adapted to serve as a rigid seat for the bedpan 12.

Now referring to FIG. 4 therein is best illustrated the components that constitute the construction of the cushioned seat 20, which includes a plurality of three resilent laminations, a top, a bottom and an intermediate lamination 21, 23 and 22 respectively. The intermediate lamination simulates that of a doughnut when die cut from a substantial thickness of foam rubber stock having a planor top and bottom surface 33 and 32 respectively, and simulates that of an open ring when breached as at 31 defining arcuately shaped limbs 30 in their relaxed state with the free end portions therewith. The limbs 30 are adapted to serve as an adjustment means for the cushioned seat 20 for varying the width thereof as through either divergence or convergence relative to each other whereby the peripheral surface of the seating flange 19 of the bedpan 12 can be substantially complemented for adjusted relation therewith.

The intermediate lamination 22 is upholstered by the top and bottom lamination 21 and 23 respectively and which laminations are pre-molded from relatively thin rubber sheets as through a steam press process, and each of which is formed into arcuately shaped trough members of which each is sized complementary for overlapping a medial and peripheral portion of the lamination 22 body surface.

The bottom lamination 23 is provided with a plurality of spaced and depending suction cups 24 which are vulcanized to its lower wall 26 and which are adapted to serve as a detachable securing means for retaining the cushioned seat 20 in preadjusted relation with the top peripheral surface of the flange seat 19 associated with the bedpan 12, as when press fitted thereon, and which suction cups 2'4 furthermore serve to release the cushioned seat from the seating flange 19 associated with the bedpan 12 after use therewith as when physically distorted through a manually applied upward and forward directed force upon a strap handle 25 which is vulcanized in secured relation with a medial and rearward portion of the wall 26 associated with the lamination 23. The lamination 23 is furthermore provided with an upstanding marginal peripheral edge portion 29 which complements slidably the overlapping thereof of a marginal peripheral skirt portion 28 which depends from the lamination 21 and in integral relation therewith and which contiguous relation between the edge portion 29 and the skirt 28 is secured as by 3 a suitable adhesive to provide a hermetical seal therebetween.

The cushioned seat 20 is furthermore provided with a suspension means as by an aperture 25 formed through the free end portion of the strap handle 25 and which is adapted to receive a hook portion when drip drying following a sanitizing bath.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a substantially horseshoe shaped cushioned seat having a plurality of spaced suction cups disposed in depending integral relation with the lower wall thereof, said suction cups being capable of detachably securing said cushioned seat in complementary overlapping relation with the rigid seat of a bedpan, as when said cushioned seat is depressed yieldingly by a manual force applied thereagainst, vacuum breaking means for releasing the grip of said suction cups to said bedpan seat, whereby said cushioned seat may be peeled there from, and spaced attachment means provided with said vacuum breaking means whereby said cushioned seat may hang and drip dry following a sanitation bath; thereby obviating contamination of said cushioned seat.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vacuum breaking means comprises a resilient and elongated strap disposed integrally and laterally with the medial portion of the circumference of said lower wall of said cushioned seat, and in interposed relation with an equal number of suction cups spaced at the opposite 4 sides thereof, said strap member being provided with a length substantially greater than the thickness of said cushioned seat, whereby an attendants hand will be dis posed remotely therefrom and thereby obviate contamination therewith.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spaced attachment means as provided with said strap member, comprises an opening therethrough adjacent the free end thereof, whereby said opening is adapted to slidably engage the shank of a hook supported by a cross bar overhanging a drain pan, thereby said cushioned seat will be readily available for the next application thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,382,593 6 /1921 Arata et a1. 4-113 1,772,783 8/1930 Sawyer 41 13 1,886,637 11/1932 Buckley 4-113 1,924,204- 8/1933 Young 4113 2,086,109 7/ 1937 Albert 4-113 2,116,560 5/1938 Chambers 4-113 2,260,437 10/ 1941 Chambers 41 13 2,481,427 9/ 1949 Hunter 41 13 2,501,844 3/1950 Ervin 41 13 FOREIGN PATENTS 102,398 11/1937 Australia.

536,080 5/ 1941 Great Britain.

77 2,024- 4/1957 Great Britain.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

